The International Relations Office at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) processes personal data in connection with your application for an exchange period abroad. In some cases, personal data may be sent from USN to a partner institution outside of Norway so they can process your application.
The legal basis for the processing is to facilitate an exchange period at one of our partner institutions abroad. Processing personal data at USN and at the partner institution is necessary for the partner institution to issue a letter of acceptance. Some exchange students also choose to enter into separate contracts with USN for promotion purposes, which involves the processing of personal data.
Regarding the transfer of personal data to countries with an adequate level of protection (EU countries, as well as countries with a level of personal data protection approved by the EU), personal data may be sent to the partner for processing.
For the transmission of personal data to countries that do not have an approved level of personal data protection, a legal basis is required. Examples of countries requiring a legal basis for transfers include third countries such as China, India, Tanzania, the USA, Australia, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Madagascar, South Africa, Malawi, and others.
In any case, no personal data will be sent from USN without the students' consent, and no sensitive personal data will be transmitted from USN to partners. The information concerning you falls into the following categories:
• name,
• student ID number,
• contact details,
• information regarding the intended study abroad period (location and duration),
• information about the student’s next of kin,
• information about the student’s academic results and language proficiency.
A "Learning Agreement" is signed, containing details such as the names of the student and the academic staff at USN and the partner institution. In some cases, a letter of motivation written by the student is used. You should avoid including health-related information in this document. Furthermore, transcripts of records, certificates, and similar documents may be processed and potentially shared with a partner institution in a third country.
The data is collected from the students themselves and from information registered in USN’s student administration system; it is used solely for the administrative processing required for the exchange period.
The collected data is stored for less than one year (Erasmus records), for the duration specified by the Archives Act, or in accordance with the rules of the Joint Student System. Students can view their application and other details via Studentweb.
Data Controller and your rights
If you have questions regarding the processing of your data, you can contact us at utveksling@usn.no.
You may also contact personvernombud@usn.no if you have questions concerning data protection in relation to this processing.
You have the right to request access to your data and the correction of any errors, as well as the deletion of personal data, a restriction on the processing of your data, or the right to object to the processing. If you believe that the processing infringes upon your privacy, you may lodge a complaint with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet).